BOSTON -- P.J. Brown was at the free-throw line, trying to concentrate as if it were just another routine practice Wednesday morning at the TD Banknorth Garden.

In Boston Celtics green, he put up a shot, then took another. But when he stepped aside to let Leon Powe shoot free throws, Brown could not help but notice several NBA staff members rushing to set up designated interview areas around the court.

Usually, the Celtics' practices are conducted in front of the team's coaches and staff members. However, there were more than 1,000 reporters watching this workout.

Nothing is routine for Brown, who is making the first NBA Finals appearance in his 15-year career. He came out of retirement in February to join the Celtics as a free agent after turning down a chance to return to the Hornets, for whom he played six seasons, in Charlotte and New Orleans.

When the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renew their rivalry tonight in their first Finals matchup since 1987, Brown will be one of the first players Celtics Coach Doc Rivers will look to for help off the bench.

"I'm part of it, but it doesn't seem real, it has been such a long journey," said Brown, a 6-foot-11 power forward. "I had a lot of heartache, disappointments in 15 years coming up short. To be finally playing here in June, man, it's a privilege. It's just really special.
"Our guys are excited about it, but I don't think they are caught up. I think everybody is focused on the task. We're ready to go, we've been beating up on each other the last few days."

Brown said he normally has his vacation plans made by now. If the Celtics had not made a successful playoff run, Brown would be at his offseason home in Slidell, taking his children -- Whitney, Briana, Kalani, Javani -- to school and relaxing with his wife, Dee, while watching the Finals on television.

However, he is in Boston, trying to fulfill a dream. He never advanced beyond the second round of the postseason with the Hornets. There also was playoff heartbreak from 1996 to 2000 when he played with the Miami Heat, which saw the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls spoil season after season.

"I'm very proud of him, and I understood exactly why (he chose Boston). He has a chance, obviously, there, to win a championship, and I think that's what he wanted a chance to do," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said.

Brown, 38, is the oldest player on the Celtics' roster -- a month older than guard Sam Cassell.

"We got a nice mix, I'm the elder statesman of the team," Brown said. "They make jokes about me. But I also make jokes about them. Some of the young guys think the world just started in 2000. They don't understand there was a whole world before 2000. But everybody respects each other. I think that's what has helped make us successful. We really enjoy playing with each other."

Brown has averaged a career-playoff-low 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds with the Celtics. But he scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He made a crucial shot during the final two minutes that helped the Celtics prevail 97-92.

"That's a veteran, we all know what P.J. can do," Powe said. "... I've seen him a lot. He always comes to work. When he stepped in with us, he was ready to go."

Although Paul Pierce and Ray Allen met with Brown during All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, to convince him to join them in Boston, it wasn't an easy decision for Brown.

"These guys had been together, and I didn't want to mess with the chemistry that already had been built," Brown said. "I had been away from the game, not really intense competition since May 2007 when I was with the Bulls.
"I was nervous if I could get my body right to where I need to be. It was a lot of different emotions, but the one thing missing from my career is being an NBA champion. But I tossed and turned; I was unsure. I didn't make that decision the day we talked ... It took about a week."

Brown played his first game with the Celtics on March 7 against Chicago and scored three points in six minutes. For the remainder of the regular season, Brown mostly had spot duty. But he made an immediate impact on his teammates in the same fashion he did as a Hornet.

"He's just an easy-going guy who does what he's supposed to do," said former LSU forward Glen Davis, a rookie. "He helped me tremendously. I'm an emotional guy, and he helped me to compose myself. He's let me know the fight is not over and just keep doing what you got to do."
It's the same advice Hornets forward David West said Brown offered him during his rookie season.

"P.J. is just an outstanding person," said former Hornets assistant Jim Cleamons, who holds the same job with the Lakers. "I'm very happy for him to get to the where he is. He had retired, and now he's back to try and win a championship. He's solid. His hard work, I think, is being rewarded, and that's what got him here."

Brown said he has not made a decision whether he will retire after the Finals. He wants to eventually get into coaching.

"I have a passion for coaching," Brown said. "Working in the NBA at some capacity might interest me down the road. I was getting ready to make the transition. But with this opportunity here now, I just want to make the most of it.
"I think there are going to be a lot of fans down in Louisiana pulling for P.J. to get it done by winning a championship."